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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30135567">you always catch me when I fall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjarcane/pseuds/jjarcane'>jjarcane</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SK8 the Infinity (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Injury, Joe being the sweetest, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Whump, post-episode 9, some described violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:06:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30135567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjarcane/pseuds/jjarcane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Kaoru!”</p><p>I’m sorry.</p><p>“Kaoru!”</p><p>Everything went black. </p><p> </p><p>or: the one where cherry blossom is severely injured but everything is ok because joe is here</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>267</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. the fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>warnings: there are descriptions of injuries but none of them are very graphic or in depth, basically follows episode 9 with some more details</p>
<p>This is my first fanfiction I’ve ever written/published and I’m very new to creative writing, but I hope you like it</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>”You’re just boring.”</i></p>
<p>
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    <i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
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    <i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>        Kaoru’s life flashed before his eyes as he was harshly struck into the rough pavement, feeling his head and back hit the ground first and the rest of his body painfully following with a violent slide down the road. Any coherent thought he had previously was quickly shaken and replaced with pure, searing hot pain. He felt betrayed beyond words. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Kaoru couldn’t even grit his teeth as his head was pounding so hard through his skull, the pain reverberating like constant hot electricity through his entire body until he wasn’t even sure where he was hurt. Every nerve was overwhelmed and felt like they were on fire- he didn’t quite know where he was anymore. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  Adam. <i>Fuck<i>, Kaoru felt like he was going to </i>die-</i> a pathetic death at that- and it was all because of him. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was blood garishly pooling around him as if he’d been stabbed. Adam hit him really fucking hard. So did the ground. Didn’t even have the honor of playing somewhat fair.
  
</p>
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<p>
  He couldn’t hear much over the ringing in his ears, but he could feel that he must be whimpering or crying from the crackling in his throat. His entire world was spinning as he laid on the ground pathetically, unable to do anything but submit to the pain Adam forced upon him. His mind began to go numb, nothing made sense. A dark vignette started to close in on his vision, everything he could see in this position quickly becoming blurrier and darker. Each blink was getting slower as it became harder and harder to keep his eyes open. <i>Is this it?
</i></p>
<p>
  <i></i>
</p>
<p>
  <i></i>
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<p>
  <i>
    <i>Just as Kaoru was on the brink of either passing out or dying, he distantly heard a familiar voice, feeling the rumble of some kind of engine grow closer. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Kaoru!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  
    <i>I’m sorry.
</i></p>
<p>
  <i></i>
</p>
<p>
  <i></i>
</p>
<p>
  
    <i>“Kaoru!”</i></p>
<p>
  <i></i>
</p>
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  <i></i>
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  <i></i>
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  <i></i>
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  <i></i>
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<p>
  <i>
    <i>Everything went black. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>_____________________</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Discovering Kaoru like this was horrific.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>As soon as the screens showed the board colliding, Kojiro had felt a burning rage consume his body, his mind, and all he could see was Kaoru. He drove as fast as possible through the course, gripping the handles with a force that could probably dislocate someone’s limb. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  Kojiro thought he was going to be sick- he <i>was<i> sick- as soon as he threw off the motorcycle and witnessed Kaoru on the ground.  Was he even conscious? From what he could tell, the hit was extremely violent. He couldn’t process anything fully before screaming out his name.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i></i>
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<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Kaoru!” He cried out from the deepest part of his chest. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>No response. He rushed towards his side. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  
    <i>“Kaoru!”<i> Kojiro panicked, glimpsing Kaoru’s dull eyes slowly shutting and staying shut when he reached his body. </i>What the fuck is going on?</i> Kojiro had seen him get hurt before, they both had plenty of times. But never like this. Never in such a way that instilled such desperate fear and uncertainty into his heart, twisting his usually calm resolve into horror as he observed Kaoru’s damaged body. 
</p>
<p>
  <i></i>
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  <i></i>
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<p>
  <i>
    <i>Kojiro’s eyes raked over him with concern and carefulness he would never show to most people. He was still alive, thank god; his pulse was slow and somewhat faint but still steady.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Kaoru looked awful- the first noticeable thing being that his usual face mask was half shredded and exposing unusually desaturated skin. Dark red blood was flowing through his hair and down his face, some of it passing over his eye and mouth. He was surprised his nose didn’t appear to have been broken from the impact, but thankful. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dreadfully examining farther down, his usually impeccable yukata had been dirtied and ripped, exposing his scraped and intensely bruised neck and collarbones. It only stood out more gruesomely on Kaoru’s pale skin. His arm and legs looked all kinds of wrong somehow, which made Kojiro feel even sicker in his stomach. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  
    <i>Focus,<i> Kojiro. He needs you. </i>You can’t even call an ambulance.</i>
  
</p>
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  <i>
    <i>Despite his lacking medical knowledge, he took off his jacket to use as a soft surface between Kaoru’s head and his hand as he lifted it as gently as possible. He seemed okay so far, so he used his other arm to carefully lift underneath Kaoru’s legs, making sure to avoid the areas below his knees that seemed like they might be twisted or broken somehow. He positioned his arm to support his upper body and allow Kaoru’s head to rest on his chest, as he lifted Kaoru into a modified princess carry. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There was no other way Kaoru would make it to the hospital at this point- he sure as hell wasn’t risking putting him on a motorcycle unconscious. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Kaoru let out a quiet whimper and his eyebrows furrowed with a small frown, causing Kojiro’s heart to shrivel with worry, but relief that his body wasn’t completely giving up. Was he still in pain, even while passed out? He didn’t want Kaoru to have to suffer any more than he already has, certainly not if he can help it. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  “...I’m here, Kaoru. I’ll take care of you,” he spoke softly. He hoped that some part of Kaoru could hear that. Or at least know that he wasn’t alone anymore, that he wasn’t with <i>Adam<i> anymore.</i>
  </i>
</p>
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  <i></i>
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<p>
  <i>
    <i>Everything was going to be fine. It always was.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In conclusion: ow</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. don’t let me go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They finally get what they deserve</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>alternate title: Kojiro is down bad</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I can’t believe you snuck out of the hospital,” Kojiro commented wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers as if avoiding a headache.</p><p>“With that wheelchair, no less,” he added as he wiped down the bar.</p><p>Kaoru was automatically rolled into the restaurant by his wheelchair, unable to maneuver any wheels himself with only one functional arm. “I couldn’t stand to be in there anymore,” he admitted with a pouty look down. <em>Yeah, wanting to be away from the hospital is the only thing bringing you to Kojiro’s restaurant.</em></p><p>It had been two weeks and Kaoru already unofficially excused himself. He was still in a wheelchair from his fractured legs and was covered in bandages, the majority surrounding his head and neck with a softer one on his cheek, not to mention the sling his right arm was trapped in. His body still ached and throbbed and nearly every task had become a challenge, but he refused to be stuck in a lifeless hospital room any longer.</p><p>Even with his functioning arm, his body was still incredibly weak in recovery and he could barely even pick up a glass on his own. He felt utterly useless, something he has tried to avoid for his entire life. He grimaced thinking about it.</p><p>Of course Kojiro visited him, every moment that he had time. But it felt oddly jarring to see such a vulnerable version of Kaoru in what was otherwise a normal circumstance. He was always so sharp and tough, it almost felt wrong that he wasn’t being insulted for anything. Even when Kojiro used the wrong cleaner by accident, causing the towel to get all gross, Kaoru did nothing. He just watched, it was almost concerning- but he knew him well enough to know that things would be normal again. <em>He must be exhausted.</em> But he knew that he wouldn’t want to be babied, no matter how much he secretly wants to dote on Kaoru- especially when he looks at him so honestly.</p><p>“Since you’re here,” Kojiro started, breaking the silence, “you want something to drink?” He asked almost tentatively.</p><p>Kojiro truly knew Kaoru well, despite how many times he may call him an empty-brained gorilla. They had known each other too long to not know almost everything. “Please,” he agreed with a small sigh, unable to contain how tired he was. Kojiro pulled out a couple of stools and set them away so Kaoru could make his way into the space. It was just them in the warmly lit room, Sialaluce having closed nearly an hour ago.</p><p>Kojiro poured him a glass of white wine without asking. Kaoru smiled shyly to himself at that, clearly assuming that his expression was a secret- otherwise he would’ve never shown it.</p><p>Kaoru attempted to pick up the thin glass with his left hand, fingers carefully wrapping around the stem in his usual manner. But he couldn’t. His arm strained as he kept trying to lift it, causing his hand and the glass to visibly shake.</p><p>Kojiro glanced sideways at him and immediately felt a pang of guilt. “Be careful,” he warned gently as he reached down to grab a straw. He heard Kaoru groan frustratedly, with the soft clink of glass against wood shortly after.</p><p>“As if I need a gorilla telling me what to do,” Kaoru spouted in retort, pointing his nose up defiantly. <i>Ah, there it is. <i></i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
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</p><p>
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    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well, this gorilla doesn’t want to have to buy more glasses,” Kojiro admitted as he dropped a curly straw into the drink. He figured that was easier than insulting him back or admitting that he just wanted Kaoru to take care of himself properly.</p><p>Kaoru stared at him a bit weirdly for a moment, eyebrow quirking up as if to question him silently. But he drank through the straw without any fuss. He would never admit that he was grateful for help that he was too prideful to ask for, though.</p><p>Kojiro sat on the stool next to him, about equal height to the chair thankfully. He drank from his own glass, happy to take just a little bit of the edge off from all the stress. He was sure Kaoru was too- even if his doctors wouldn’t approve. He was just glad to know that he was safe somewhere. If he were being honest, every day that he had to go without bringing Kaoru back to the restaurant with him or even have a conversation longer than their schedules allowed were killing him. Seeing Kaoru like that... it made him never want to leave him again, no matter how selfish he knew it was.</p><p>“You know... I was really-“ Kojiro cut off his own sentence as he turned to Kaoru, seeing that he was fast asleep with his head resting on the table and his glass empty. Kojiro’s expression softened, a smile rightfully forming as he admired such a serene sight. His face wasn’t in pain or scared anymore. He was the perfect picture of peace, his only problem now being strands of pink hair about to fall into his mouth, which Kojiro gently brushed away behind his ear.</p><p>
  <i> Had Kaoru turned into a lightweight?</i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
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</p><p>Kojiro gently nudged his good shoulder, wondering if he would wake up easily. <i>It can’t be comfortable to sleep like that.<i> Kaoru made a small noise, but otherwise didn’t budge. It seemed like he was really asleep, probably a combination of his injuries, sneaking out, and the little bit of alcohol after he had been restricted from it knocking him out.</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
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    <i></i>
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</p><p>Well, he couldn’t just leave him there.</p><p>Kojiro sighed softly and rinsed the glasses in the sink before gently lifting Kaoru’s sleepy head from the hard counter and guiding him to lean against the chair while he figured out how to move on. <i>He’s seriously out.</i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Kojiro carefully wrapped his arms around and under Kaoru’s light frame, pulling him out of the chair as gently as possible, somewhat fearful of what he might do if he disturbed his sleep. He carried him similar to how he did that night, but- this time it wasn’t filled with panic and worry, but relief and warmth.</i>
  </i>
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    <i></i>
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    <i></i>
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</p><p>Kaoru nuzzled his head into his chest in his sleep, and Kojiro swears his heart could have combusted on the spot. “So cute,” he verbalized under his breath with a cheesy smile, knowing that Kaoru wouldn’t be awake to yell at him for saying something like that.</p><p>Kojiro made his way to the stairs in the back and slowly carried him up, being mindful of any possible jostling or bumping in the somewhat narrow entry. He would never let himself hurt Kaoru.</p><p>Kojiro gently placed him on the mattress of his bedroom on his back, sadly letting him go from his hold. It was made up for, though, when Kaoru made cute little noises and moaned softly as he curled into the soft sheets—as much as his body could—still asleep. <i>It’s so good to see him like this.<i> Kaoru trusted him completely, even if he wouldn’t say so, and it warmed his heart to be able to be here with him. To be safe with him; home. No one was here to hurt him, and Kojiro was the only one Kaoru would allow to see him like this.</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
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    <i></i>
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</p><p>Kojiro gingerly pulled the blanket and comforter over his sleeping form, knowing that he got cold easily.</p><p>He took another look at Kaoru’s finally peaceful expression as if to reassure himself that this is actually real.</p><p>He placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “Goodnight,<i> tesoro mio.<i>”</i></i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope this chapter wasn’t too sudden of a tonal shift, I wanted it to be mostly fluffy and focused on their emotions. Hope you enjoyed</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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